Improvement in water-wheels



UNITED SrA'rns "PATENT Grrron.

JOHN G. GABRETSON, OF WEST LIBERTY, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,026, datedSeptember 19, 1871.

Wheel 5 and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had 4to the accompanying`drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon making part ofthis specification, in which- Figure l is a plan of the wheel, showingthe arms, rim, bottom, and opening near the center. Fig. 2 is the cap orcover for the wheel, by and through which the water is conducted intothe wheel by chutes or water-ways, so arranged as to give the water amotion in a direction as near atright angles with the axis of the wheelas practicable; also, gates or valves to shut ofi the water-whendesired. Fig. 3 is a side elevation and sectional viewof the wheel,showing the shaft, arms, rim, &c Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 2,showing the manner of conducting the water into the wheel byfunnel-shaped'chutes.

The object of my invention is to furnishawater wheel of the simplestconceivable form, being easily molded and cast in iron or brass, all inv one piece, without curves or angles other than such as is necessary tofacilitate the castings or give greater strength to the parts; the Wheelbeing `neither turbine nor reaction, nor yet properly percussion as thatword is generally understood, but when at work may run in the water,under water, and be full of water, to the` exclusion of all air, as arare medium throughgwhich Y percussion properly might be supposed totake place; but the entering column thrown into the Wheel is preventedfrom escape downward by the solid bottom, outward by the rim, and upwardby the cap; is compelled to move toward i the center Where it is met bythe centrifugal force of the water alreadyin the wheel obstructing itsescape in that direction;` and is compelled to go round and round withthe velocity and momentum that it entered the Wheel; the arms extendingom the bottom to the cap merely obstruct this round-and-round motion ofthe water unless they yield to it and go with it, so that, by thisaction of the centrifugal force, the whole wheel and all the waterwithin it becomes, as it were, a solid body in circular motion,receiving continual'impulse from the momentum of the entering column ofWater. The entering column,fthus confined, by its superior forcegradually overcomes the centrifugal force and drives part ofthe waterwithin the wheel toward the center, where it escapes' from the wheel.Thus, by utilizingthe centrifugal force ofthe water in the wheel toconline the entering column in proper bounds, and

to prevent its striking, ilying, or splashing, but

cause it quietly to enter the wheel and impart its momentum to it, makesa wheel of great speed and power, capable of run ning under back-water,and is anti-eezing in a high degree.

To enable others to make and use myinvention I will more particularlydescribe its construction and operation.

A, Fig. 1, is a plan of the wheel, which is proposed to be of cast ironor brass, with the arms c a a a here representedas straight, but may beof any suitable curve to facilitate the casting or to give greaterstrength to the parts. The hub c, the arms a c c a, and rim b may allybecast in one piece, leaving an aperturefrom b to c for the escape of thewater when exhausted, the proportion of the parts being nearly thatrepresented in the ligure. B, Fig. 2, is the cap or covering for thewheel, and does not consist of a thin plate, but must have thicknessequal to or Vgreater than the height of the rim of the wheel it isdesigned to cover. This thickness is shown at B, Fig. 4. Upon theconstruction of this cap greatly depends the excellency of the wheelwhich it covers, for in and through it are constructed the funnel-shapedchutes or water-ways t' t t' to conduct the water into the Wheel. Thesechutes must be funnel-shaped, and must direct the issuing column asnearly at right angles to4 the axis of the wheel as is practicable fromthe nature of the case. The smallest p arts of these chutes must be justwhere the water leaves the cap and enters the wheel; or, in otherwords,that must be the pinching point, as seen at 'i i t' i, Fig. 4. Theouter rim of this cap should be cast with a flange to rest on the bottomof the iiume, While the lower part should extend down a little inside ofthe rim b to prevent the escape of the water between them. j' f areopenings or mouthsof the funnel-shaped chutes i z' t, and may be coveredby the valve g` or any other suitable gate. These valves may be made toopen or close by turning the square-topped shaft P. Fig. 3 is anelevated sectional view of the Wheel. This wheel may be of any diameter,from a few inches to several feet. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of thecap, and shows the necessary thickness in order to form thefunnel-shaped chutes for conducting the water properly into the Wheel.

The operation may be as follows: Open one or more of the Valves g andthe Water enters through the chutes into the wheel, and then endeavorsto fly off at a tangent, but is prevented by the rim b; the solid bottompreventing its escape downward, and the cap preventing its risingupward, it is compelled to move in a circuit,still bearing against therim b with all its centrifugal force 5 the column, still entering,eventually fills the Whole wheel with water from the hub c to the rimb', and from the bottom to the cap. The entering column can now gain noadmittance but by contending with the centrifugal force of the water.Thus confined, the entering column cannot strike, splash, or y, butquietly takes position side by side with the Water already in the wheel,imparting its momentum to the wheel, and compellin g part of the waterpreviously in the wheel to approach the center and pass ofi'.

Now what I claim as new and my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The combination ofthe cap B, Fig. 2, with its funnel-shaped chutes t' i,with the wheel A, Fig. l, constructed as described, the funnel-shapedchutes throwing the water into the Wheel at nearly riglit angles to theaxis of the wheehwhile the centrifugal force of the water already withinthe wheel prevents the striking, splashing, or iiying ofthe enteringcolumn, but causes it to quietly take position in the wheel and impartto the wheel the momentum with which it entered, in the manner and bythe means above set forth.

JOHN G. GARRETSON. Witnesses:

R. N. JORDAN, J ENNIE JORDAN.

